1 Corinthians Chapter 5
At a Glance
- Chapter 5 confronts a painful case of sexual immorality within the Corinthian church.
- Paul uses the metaphor of leaven to illustrate how sin in the life of one member can corrupt the whole loaf.
- Paul’s letter grapples with a concrete case of scandal in a bustling, morally permissive city.
- Literarily, this chapter is a corrective, setting boundaries for what constitutes fellowship and what constitutes disorder within the gathered community.
- - Church discipline and holy communion: safeguarding purity for a holy community.
1 Corinthians 5
Chapter 5 confronts a painful case of sexual immorality within the Corinthian church. It is publicly reported that a man is “having his father’s wife,” a grievous violation of community ethics. The church’s response is troubling: instead of mourning and removing the offender, they are “puffed up,” indicating pride or denial. Paul responds with firm discipline, acting “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, with the aim that the spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord Jesus.
Paul uses the metaphor of leaven to illustrate how sin in the life of one member can corrupt the whole loaf. He exhorts the community to purge out the old leaven to become a new lump—unleavened—reflecting the Passover imagery, because Christ—the paschal sacrifice—is sacrificed for them. The call to purity is not merely ritual but ethical and communal: keep the feast with sincerity and truth.
He also issues a corrective stance on social engagement with non-believers, clarifying that he did not intend for Christians to avoid all contact with the morally compromised of the world, only those who claim fellow fellowship yet persist in unrepented sin.
Paul’s letter grapples with a concrete case of scandal in a bustling, morally permissive city. Written around the same period (mid-50s CE), the chapter reflects early Christian ethics about church discipline and holiness within a mixed social environment. The language of “leaven” draws on Jewish festival imagery, connecting Christian ethical life to Israel’s redemptive story while reframing it through the lens of Christ’s work as the Passover Lamb.
Literarily, this chapter is a corrective, setting boundaries for what constitutes fellowship and what constitutes disorder within the gathered community. It precedes more extensive teachings on discipline in chapter 6 and parallels later biblical patterns of restorative discipline aimed at repentance and the preservation of the church’s integrity.
- Church discipline and holy communion: safeguarding purity for a holy community.
- Corporate leaven imagery: one sin can permeate the whole community.
- Passover symbolism: Christ as the unleavened bread—purity and truth.
- Distinction between fellowship within the church and engagement with the unbelieving world.
- Redemption and pastoral hope: even severe discipline aims at restoration.
- Clarify boundaries: contemporary churches should have clear, compassionate, yet principled standards for community life.
- Address sin with humility and firmness: discipline as a path toward restoration, not punishment.
- Promote unity through holiness: prevent scandals from undermining witness.
- Distinguish worlds: engage missionally with culture while maintaining distinct holy living.
- Communicate grace and truth: discipline should reflect Christ’s mercy alongside his justice.